By
now, most recruiters know many high-quality, professional Soldiers have been directed
to leave the U.S. Army. As tragic as it is, these former Soldiers hold an
important key in the messaging and marketing of the Army. Many have taken this
directive in stride — true professionals. Others may not be as accepting.

This
dichotomy poses a potential public relations problem for the Army, specifically
in recruiting efforts. But it doesn’t have to. By harnessing the positive
experiences of former Soldiers, recruiters can mitigate any potential
negativity and damage disgruntled former Soldiers present, while simultaneously
building a network of professionals who can assist in recruiting efforts.

Here,
I provide a simple, five-phase model that can be used to identify, cultivate
and employ the positive and favorable personal experiences of former Soldiers. It’s
an ﻿iterative﻿
process that allows for concurrent planning and constant refinement. The
model’s input takes into account mission and location dependency. Because of
these factors, this isn’t an exhaustive list of phases, actions or events. Nor
is the model immutable. Utilize it and its components as you see you fit.

Five-Phase Model

Engage

Listen

Implement

Assess

Followup

Former Soldier Engagement Model (FSEM).Phase 1: Engage Former
Soldiers. At
this phase, recruiters should develop an engagement plan. This is a crucial
step in the process. The plan should include a purpose, a scope (deliverables),
goals, identified risks, measurements of effectiveness of an end state.

This
phase includes several actions that should be executed. Research your area.
Identify locations where former Soldiers may have re-entered the community. For
instance, Parternship for Youth Success partners, Reserve units, high schools
and local colleges/universities. Of note, many former Soldiers will elect to
continue their service in Reserve units; therefore, it’s a prime location.

Additionally,
many will take positions as teachers through programs such as
Troops-to-Teachers and Teach For America. Finally, many will enroll in
educational programs to utilize their educational benefits. These are great
places to conduct your research and to canvas.

After
you’ve drafted the engagement plan, brief the commander and first sergeant. Once
approved, it’s time to beat the street and locate the former Soldiers. After
locating and engaging them, ensure they understand what you’re proposing. This
is about establishing a network of professionals whose experiences can assist
in the unit’s recruiting efforts. This person will be a significant component
of your recruiting efforts. Scheduling the interview is the culminating step in
this phase.

Measures
of Effectiveness (MoE): 10 percent increase
in number of leads; increase enlistments in market.

Endstate:
Army and community relationship strengthened; network of 10 former Soldiers
established; and enlistment goals exceeded by 15 percent for the quarter.

Engagement Plan ExamplePhase 2: Listen to the Former
Soldiers. Now
it’s time to execute the interview. Developing the questions is a critical task
in this phase. It will come naturally to many recruiters; however, there are three
questions that must be asked.

First,
what’s your discharge type? Determining a former Soldiers discharge type is pivotal.
The standard is an honorable discharge. Caveat: acceptance of any other
discharge should be subject to the commander’s approval.

Next,
how do you feel about your release? Obviously, a supportive Soldier is the
standard.

Third,
are you willing to be part of our recruiting initiatives? Securing a commitment
from the former Soldier is key. Explain what your recruiting plan entails.
Also, explain how he or she will be implemented. You should discuss
deliverables -and be specific. Include the goals and expected outcomes of this
partnership.

The
remainder of the questions should be goal dependent — outlined in the
engagement plan. Ideally, the questions should focus on crafting the message
for the initial presentation. The culminating step in this phase is securing
the commitment. While listening to the responses, you should get a feeling of
what type of asset the former Soldier will be. Concurrently, you should be thinking
about the presentation venue and audience.

Key points to remember in in Listen Phase.

Determine discharge type

Determine the former Soldier’s feelings toward discharge

Secure obligation and commitment

Phase 3: Implement your
plan. In
this phase, recruiters should take a moment to review their plan. Are you on
track? Or are refinements needed? If none is needed, proceed with the Implementation
Phase.

The
signature event in this phase is the presentation. It‘s critical to pair the former
Soldier’s characteristics and message with an appropriate audience. These
traits should be gleaned during the Listen Phase.

You
should identify whether the former Soldier will best serve in a high school or
university environment. This also depends on market and location considerations.
Once the forum is identified, schedule the event.

Work
with the event point-of-contact as you would any other event; however, there
may be additional coordination requirements for this event. Be cognizant of any
protocol requirements or issues. Additionally, finalizing the narrative and
message are critical tasks in this phase.

A key
component of the presentation should include correcting any misinformation and
misconceptions about the Army. A rehearsal with the future Soldier is highly encouraged.

Key actions in
the Implement Phase

Identify presentation
venue/forum

Refine the plan as needed

Rehearse the presentation

Phase 4: Assess your plan. Now that the heavy lifting is
done, it’s time to review what transpired. An after action review should be
conducted. Your actions should be assessed with a critical eye. The perfunctory
three ups, three downs may not suffice. For a comprehensive review, consider
including the first sergeant and the commander. A
few areas to assess should include: did the presentation hit the target? Was
the intended message conveyed? Were misinformation and myths debunked? Did we
fulfill the scope and purpose? Will the end state be realized? Answering these
questions will provide the dialogue needed to reveal deficiencies in the approach.
This pointed analysis will improve the entire process (going forward).

Key points for AAR model

Did the presentation hit the
mark?

Was the message conveyed?

Did we inform the audience?

Did we fulfill the purpose
and scope?

Will the endstate be
realized?

Phase 5: Follow-up. This is the final phase. After
you have completed the AAR and conducted the followed-ups, you should conduct a
quick analysis. This will give you a clearer understanding of the impacts and benefits
of the engagement.

During
this phase, you should develop a list of follow-up entities: the former Soldier,
the event POC, and prospects (identified leads). When you follow-up with the former
Soldier, you should diagnose any issues. (You can conduct a quick AAR.) Also, capitalize
on any positive impacts or benefits yielded by the presentation.

If the
event was successful, you and the former Soldier should consider conducting future
presentations. These steps conclude the Follow-up Phase; however, since the model’s
iterative, you should return to the Engage Phase. This time when you begin, you’ll
start with a refined, improved, and more efficient approach.

Follow-up Phase tasks

Identify follow-up entities

Follow-up with former
Soldiersand identified leads

Conduct refinement analysis

Return to Engage Phase

Conclusion: Soldiers who have recently
been released from the Army are an exceptional source for recruiting efforts.
Utilizing their stories and personal experiences provide the recruiter with another
credible person capable of marketing the Army. By engaging these former
Soldiers, you can develop a network of professionals who can assist in your
recruiting initiatives.

The
FSEM provides a blueprint on of how to effectively engage and implement former
Soldiers into your recruiting efforts. This model is a guide, not the gospel. Tweak
as needed (mission and location dependent, of course), and harness the positive
messages and experiences of former Soldiers.

Maj.
John. Hewitt is a former company commander for the Lawton Recruiting Company, Oklahoma City
Battalion. He has been out of recruiting for four years but asked for the
opportunity to share information on how to use former Soldiers to enhance
recruiting. Hewitt currently serves as an operations research analyst at
U.S. Army Central at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.